Human Resource Management EU project to benefit SMEs

AN international research project is under way to make smaller companies better places to work, so that they can recruit and retain high calibre staff.  The scheme will boost regional economies across the country by slowing down the “brain drain” to London and the South East.

The project leaders now invite firms in the West Yorkshire region to participate in the research by taking part in an online survey.  This will provide data for an e-handbook to be produced as part of the project.  Freely available online, it will help small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) make vital improvements to their human resource management (HRM).

The e-handbook will be launched at an event running on the 2-4 June 2019 to be held in Huddersfield, with the John Smith’s Stadium a likely venue.  Regional businesses will be invited to present and attend.  Also present will be researchers from partner institutions and SMEs in Finland, the Czech Republic, Germany and Lithuania that are partnering with Huddersfield Business School in a three-year project called SHARPEN.

SHARPEN stands for SMEs HRM Attraction, Retention and Performance Enhancement Network and has received funding of €224,000 from the EU.

Leading Huddersfield Business School’s contribution to SHARPEN is Dr Julie Davies, who is HR Subject Group Leader and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Dr Davies points out that the vast majority of people work for SMEs – defined by the EU as firms with fewer than 250 employees – yet she is surprised that SMEs are hardly mentioned in some of the key textbooks dealing with human resource management.

Brain drain to the South

Dr Davies is concerned that many of the most talented and ambitious graduates do not see that working for an SME – as opposed to a large corporation – as an exciting career choice.  She has produced case studies which show how human resources professionals working in smaller firms can make a real difference and have greater scope for innovation, especially when they are on the board.

“SMEs often offer a much friendlier environment and more rounded job opportunities than larger firms, where jobs may be very specialised,” she said.

“Effective branding of an SME can attract and retain talent and reverse the brain drain to the capital and the South East of England,” continued Dr Davies.  “The quality of working life with cleaner air and less stressful commuting is a benefit for employees working in SMEs in the West Yorkshire region, compared with the much denser South East.

“Major challenges facing SMEs include making better use of social media inclusivity.  Employers need to be more aware about employing younger, older, other non-traditional and voluntary workers, and refugees,” added Dr Davies.

Huddersfield Business School became involved in SHARPEN at the invitation of one of its former PhD students, Dr Katerina Marsikova, now based at the Technical University of Liberec, in the Czech Republic, one of the key partners.

The project has meant that five outstanding undergraduate and postgraduate students per year, who have taken part in an HRM module at Huddersfield, earned the opportunity to travel overseas for intensive study events organised by SHARPEN partners.

It is hoped that increasing numbers of SMEs will take now part in the online survey for the team to better understand HRM policies and practices in regional SMEs.

“Our findings will inform workshops for university students to better understand the challenges faced by SMEs in managing people and inform the e-handbook,” said Dr Davies. 

“We are grateful to Huddersfield-based HR specialists Howarths, a local SME, for helping us to share the survey amongst local organisations.”